I cheat. I confess. Darn this Summer of 7 experiment! While Amy in Wanderland is out wandering around California and Katrina of The Poorganic Life is enjoying the beach, I’m left here being jealous and kicking myself!
Possessions week rolled in when I had just returned from youth camp. I was tired and convinced myself that I had dealt with this within the last year as we remodeled.
I left my guidelines fairly simple for the week — “I will focus on rounding up possessions for others. I need possessions to take to the streets, because so many are without.” That should have been a slam dunk. I could have easily rounded up some items here, made a few phone calls, or even begged you (my friend) to have pitty on me and help me gather possessions to take to the streets.
But I didn’t!
I really just wanted a week to breath as media week on top of clothes week had wrecked my poor wretched soul. I was not diligent with my plan and then when my plan came full circle I failed miserable! Epic. Fail.
The phone rang. It was early morning and I was deep in a project in the office. I glance at the phone and see it’s a friend who recently got off the streets. My thought, “I know she’s going to want something, I’ll call her back.”
Embarrassing. Please don’t judge. I’m assuming you’ve been there.
I go back to work and I can’t quit thinking about her. My thoughts were haunting me. I can’t stand it any longer and pick up the phone to call her back.
She answers with such excitement. In our conversation, I find out she had no food.
FOOD! She wasn’t worried about STUFF or POSSESSIONS. I’m sure those things weren’t even in the back of her mind, as she was just trying to ration what little food she has left. She wasn’t worried about gadgets or gizmo’s — y’all she was worried about food.
Why are we consumed with our stuff? And if having some STUFF isn’t enough, we want bigger stuff and more stuff and pretty stuff and the list of stuff goes on and on.
Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
While I am not proud of my possessions week, my eyes have been opened to the excessiveness around me that truly is meaningless!
Hoarding bigger and better and more possessions = eternal epic fail.
Stopping by to check out your site. This summer of 7 sounds really neat. I’m going to check it out now –and your bookstore. Nice to meet you Alene!
-JoAnna
So, my brother is here visiting this weekend. I had told him that the basement is where everyone’s junk is but when he followed me down to the laundry room he burst out laughing, “You’re a hoarder!”
Ouch.
My defense is that I don’t have a car since my son wrecked the van almost a year ago. We have his small 4 seat car and a busy family of 6. I just don’t even go through much STUFF anymore as there is a huge pile of STUFF behind the front door and no one ever has time or space in the car to move it OUT!
S is for something
That
Usurps
Family
Fun
I don’t want the removal of all of that STUFF to take time out of our fun? I guess.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. It wasn’t a fail if you learned something valuable, which it sounds like you did! And bonus points for sharing it with us too. I’m only on day one of possessions though so I’ll see how I feel on Saturday ;)
A,
So our family is trying to copy Jen and give away 7 things each day of the week for 7 days this week. This challenge was planned before, but you know how it is…just about anything could take priority over this challenge because, oh, yeah, who wants to do it?
Anyway, it’s fun peeking at all the good things happening with you girls.